CHAPTER 2
Unlocking Your Unique Drive
Twenty-eight-year-old Alexander Selkirk was in essence a legalized pirate for the British Crown and a known hothead. In October 1704, while serving as a navigator on the Cinque Ports and anchored 418 miles west of Valparaiso, Chile, he demanded to be left on the nearest large island, in rebellion to his captain who he felt was overly arrogant. The captain agreed, and Alexander got off the ship. He had expected some of his shipmates to join him, as many shared his sentiments, but when to his dismay he realized they would not, he asked to reboard and was denied.
He remained alone on the island for four years and four months.
As later documented by Alexander’s descendant Bruce Selcraig for the Smithsonian
Get What Drives You: How to Discover Your Unique Motivators and Accelerate Growth in Work and Life now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
